Pressure washers are fast and effective cleaning tools that can cut hours off otherwise time-consuming projects.

Pressure washers have the power to really clean the dirt and grime that can build up on your home over time. Pressure washers are also a good tool for cleaning a variety of items in and around the home such as cars, boats, patio furniture, decks and sidewalks.

If you are considering buying a pressure washer, here’s a tip to help you understand the options. Just remember these Three Ps:

Water Pressure: How much pressure you need your pressure washer to deliver depends on the type of job you're going to be doing. The basic light-duty pressure washer (1300 - 2000 PSI) is 30 times as powerful as a garden hose but a good choice for cleaning boats, cars and siding. Medium-duty (2000 - 2600 PSI) is good for cleaning grease and grime or heavy-duty (2,700 - 4,000 PSI) for stripping surfaces for repainting.

Gallons Per Minute: The larger the GPM, the more surface area a pressure washer can clean. A higher GPM flow rate can clean a larger area faster.

Price: Pressure washers range in price from a low of $100 to more than $2,000.

For more information on buying a pressure washer, visit www.pressurewashersdirect.com. Aside from offering additional tips on how to choose the right pressure washer for the job, the site offers DIYers the opportunity to compare more than 60 brands and models from leading manufacturers side-by-side and takes some of the guesswork out of determining what model pressure washer is right for you and your price range.

Comments

Bought a pressure washer this summer for my deck for less than $100 - love it. But DON'T use it to strip paint on an older house - for 2 reasons: #1- it is way too easy to strip the paint, etch the wood and force a lot of water behind the siding (which can cause paint failure as the water migrates back OUT if you paint too soon.) #2 - The EPA specifically prohibits painting contractors to use pressure washing because it violates lead safe work practices and can scatter lead paint chips and dust into the soil and the air. And DIY homeowners should avoid pressure washing to remove paint for the same reasons. A LOW pressure wash after the wet scraping and any wet-sanding is done is OK - but keep the pressure below 400psi and keep the distance - just washing off the residue on the wood. And, of course allow to dry thoroughly before painting.